What am I doing, trying to be a Nurse? Who am I trying to fool?

Published

Did you ever wake up and think "Why the heck am I majoring in nursing?" Seriously, I'm in my second year in college, starting nursing school next year and my GPA is good but just because my GPA is good, doesn't mean I should be a nurse. When I signed up for pre-nursing I had given about a week thought. Not because I didn't think about career options through high school, I was going to be a teacher because I got summers off(yeah how lame I know) but when I thought of nursing it actually felt right like something I could do. But now I'm actually thinking about nursing, not as just giving patients their medicine and blah but as someone's LIFE is in my hands. Why if I mess up and kill them? What if a situation happens and I can't think of what to do fast enough and they die? What if I just suck in general at this? And what if I can't figure out how to do a chart? I want to be a nurse but what if I can't do it? Do I really need to know every bone in the body, every muscle, every nerve? How all the systems work? Do you guys have any advice?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Oh my heavens yes. I used to do that all the time.I don't think you are alone. Every once in a while you will realize the awesome responsibilty that you are undertaking.This doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neurology.

get a job in healthcare as a cna.. then decide

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
get a job in healthcare as a cna.. then decide

I would like to add, shadow a nurse as well...the CNA work will acclimate you to the fundamentals of nursing; the nurse will give you a snapshot of the scope of practice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I definitely went through this, still do on occasion and I'm suppose to graduate in May, but at the end of the day I KNOW that this is what I want. As a nursing student, and then a nurse, you are a lifelong learner. No one knows everything, but you will continue to figure it out along the way. Follow your gut, and your heart.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I know exactly what you are saying, as I felt much the same way during my pre-reqs. Now that I'm actually in nursing school I see that there are many checks that, when used appropriately, prevent nurses from harming patients. In nursing school you are taught how to think and act like a nurse so that you know how to assess patients and implement care (and what situations warrant calls to the provider). You can't know everything there is to know about the human body and how to care for it, but you can know the essentials, and that's what nursing school will teach you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you ever heard that people are "born to be nurses"? I don't believe that. I think that the skills of nursing can be learned, just as any other career field. I don't think that every nurse has woken up at the age of 5 and said, I want to be a nurse. The difference is the type of person you are, and if you believe you can be caring and empathetic, that you can take care of a human being when they may be at the worst point in their life, possibly dying; that you will be able to handle the stress of those things and do all of those without becoming bitter as some nurses I have seen are, then you can be a nurse. I never wanted to be a nurse, not until my first year of college when I figured out how much I enjoyed helping people and that I loved science. For me, I learned how to want to be a nurse, and now I love it and I get told by many patients that I am the best nurse assistant that they have ever had (I'm still in my RN program). This is the first job I have actually enjoyed, even when I'm wiping people's butts because that feeling of helping people really is what its about, and those people are grateful. I know I sound dramatic, but I'm saying all of it so that you can see that nursing isn't all about knowing how to chart or what meds to give, you can learn all of those things and you will in nursing school. So don't give up because your afraid you can't learn those things, because you can. Quit because you don't think you can be all of things I stated above and more.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

RNStudentJ has said it all very well :) This is sound advice. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion